Of Fairies and Leafmen
by Laitie
Summary: Mandrake is alive with more power than ever, and he's ready to destroy Moonhaven. Will the help of one little fairy be enough to save them?
1. Friend or Foe?

_**AN: I know, I know, no one likes reading about OC's. So if you don't want to read about an OC with the Leafmen, then just go away. I just wanted to share my daydreams with the world, anyway.**_

_**If you -are- interested in reading about an OC with the Leafmen, please enjoy!**_

Prologue

Mandrake grinned as he looked over his beautiful work. No, he was not dead. How could he die from his own power? But it worked, letting them all think he was dead. With all the power he had gathered from this new triumph, he would soon be ready to face them again. To destroy them all.

He laughed at the thought of that. A cold, sinister sound. It made the fairy shiver. She waited until it slowly faded away before bolting. She flew as fast as she could, as close to the dead ground as possible. It was easy to avoid looking around at all the decay. She didn't want to see what her once lively, green home had been reduced to.

'The Leafmen,' she thought. 'I have to get to the Leafmen.' She almost made it to living forest again when one of Mandrake's henchmen found her.

Chapter 1

"...and next thing I know, I'm flat on my back with Mub on top of me!" Nod and MK laughed at the end of the story.

"I guess being a Leafman really is still pretty adventurous," MK said.

"Yeah," Nod said. "But not as much as it was with Mandrake around. Which is a good thing."

"A very good thing," MK agreed. "So, have you guys-"

"Nod!" Nod turned to see a Leafman by the name of Slannen fly over on his hummingbird. "Ronin spotted something by the Eastern border. We need to go. Now!"

"Sorry, MK," Nod said. "I gotta go." Before MK had the chance to say good-bye, Nod was gone.

'What was that about?' MK wondered. The Eastern border . . . She knew where that was. She ran to the foyer and pulled on her boots.

"Where you going, MK?" her dad called.

"Something's going on at the Eastern border!" MK shouted back. "I'll be home later!" With that, she raced out of the door and towards the edge of Moonhaven.

The fairy huddled behind the root of the tree. She had barely gotten away with her life. Her wing was bent and she was bleeding. She had to get to the Leafmen quickly. Before Mandrake found the bulbs. Before he could begin his raid on the Leafmen.

But how? She was exhausted, and she never did pay enough attention in lessons. So she only knew a few healing spells and none of them included speeding the healing of a bent wing. She would never make it in time.

It was then that she heard a low humming. It started out very faint, then grew louder and louder until the entire air was filled with it. She looked up at the canopy above her and saw them. The hummingbirds. And...were those fairies riding them?

No, not fairies! Leafmen! They had found her! She was so excited, she lept up to her feet despite her sore legs. She jumped up and down in excitement. But her happiness dwindled when an arrow came whizzing by her ear, digging into the ground behind her. Did they really think her a threat?

The Leafmen encircled her in the air before landing on the ground and dismounting their hummingbirds. The one that seemed to be the leader walked forward towards her.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he demanded. Soonrah shrunk back, reaching behind her to feel the safety of the wood against her fingers.

"I-I...Well, I..." She was too nervous. She couldn't speak. She shivered as she crouched beneath the overhang offered by the tree root. "P-Please, I-"

"Ronin." A young man made his way over to the leader. "Ronin, look at her," he said. "She's so scared. And she's wounded. She probably just needs help."

"Nod," the leader, Ronin, apparently, said sternly. "Go back to the ranks."

"But Ronin-"

"Back to the ranks!" The young man, seemingly Nod, frowned. He set his chin and walked right up to the fairy, who only backed up more. But he offered out his hand.

"I'm Nod," he said. "Don't be afraid of that old guy. He only wants to protect his people."

Shakily, she took his hand. She looked around quickly to make sure no arrows were drawn. None were. "I-I...I'm Soonrah," she said softly. "P-Please, I need your help. My home is gone. Completely destroyed. And if you don't listen to me, the same will happen to yours."

"What are you talking about?" Ronin demanded.

"I ca-can't talk about it here. It's too dangerous. Please. We must go further into your land."

It didn't take anything more to convince Ronin. But he made certain to keep this fairy under a close watch. He helped her on to his own bird and they flew to Moonhaven in silence. Once they landed, Ronin dismounted and walked towards the Queen's meadow. Nod helped Soonrah off the hummingbird as Ronin walked into the meadow.

"My Queen," he said with a bow. Queen Darcy turned at the sound of his voice and grinned at him. "Ronin. How are things?"

"I'm not sure, My Queen," Ronin said. "We found a fairy by the border. She says Moonhaven is in trouble."

"A fairy?" the Queen asked. She had heard tales of fairies, of course. But she had never known them to be real. Beyond her lands, she always thought there to be other Leafman-kind protecting their own lands.

But she had to focus on what was important. The safety of her people. "How is Moonhaven in danger?"

"She would not tell us. Not until we were well within our borders."

"Then let's hear what she has to say. Let her come."

Ronin nodded and left to fetch Soonrah and Nod. All three walked back in together, Soonrah keeping close to Nod. Ronin still made her uneasy. When she saw the Queen, she gasped. She was so beautiful.

"Hello," Queen Darcy said gently. She grinned at the fairy, happy to see a real one for the first time in her life. "I am Darcy."

"Hello, Your Majesty," Soonrah said respectfully. She gave a small bow, as much as her wounded body would let her. At least the fairy knew some sort of royal protocol. There had been a queen of fairies, as well.

"Please tell me. Why do you think our lands are in danger?"

"Because of him, Your Majesty. He has destroyed my home. Everyone and everything is gone. And you're all next. I know it."

"Who, Soonrah?" Nod asked.

"Mandrake," she said gravely. "He's alive."


	2. Storytime

_**AN: Thank you soooo much for those lovely reviews! And for reading despite my rude author's note! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

By the time MK made it to the Eastern border, there was no sign of the Leafmen or the trouble that had brought them there. She searched up and down the boarder, but it was useless. With a sigh, she decided to head to Moonhaven and see what she could find out there. She turned and started on her way.

Soonrah struggled not to cry as she shared her story with the Leafmen and the Queen. Queen Darcy had helped Soonrah to heal, and though she wasn't back to full health, her wing was perfect and she could at least fly again. A fairy is nothing if she cannot fly.

"He started down below," Soonrah said. "With the roots." She explained how Mandrake snuck up on them. How he only went here and there until the entirety of the fairy lands were weakening. "Then fairies started disappearing." One by one. She would spend hours trying to find her friends or mentors. She didn't know what was going on, but when the Queen disappeared, she knew she had to investigate.

"There were still many of us left," Soonrah said. "But I was the only one brave enough to try and figure out what was going on. Everyone hid in the safehouse behind the waterfall. But I went to the source, to the roots of the trees. I found a cavern beneath our oldest tree. That was where I heard Mandrake talking to his Boggans. Bragging with them about how they were going to take over the whole forest. And, Your Majesty, when I returned to the waterfall, everyone was gone." With the story over, she burst into tears. Queen Darcy immediately wrapped her arms around the fairy, patting her shoulder comfortingly.

"They may not be gone for good," Queen Darcy said.

"That's true," Ronin said. "Legend says that fairy magic is extremely powerful. Could it be possible that he's using their power? That would mean they could be alive."

"You really think so?" Soonrah asked hopefully. Queen Darcy nodded.

"We'll get them home safe," the Queen promised. "We'll return your home to you."

"Oh, Your Majesty," Soonrah gasped. "Thank you."

Just then, the sound of loud, slow stomping was heard. Soonrah gasped again. "A stomper!" Before anyone could stop her, she raced into the maze of flowers.

"Soonrah!" Nod called. Soonrah carefully looked out from her hiding place behind a short flower.

"What are you all doing?" she demanded. "There's a stomper coming. You have to hide!"

Nod chuckled. "No, we don't," he said, walking over to her. "There are only two stompers around here. And they're our friends."

"Friends?" Soonrah asked disbelievingly. "Stompers are not friends. They destroy nature for absolutely no reason. They're awful!"

"Not these stompers. They respect nature. They take care of it. And they help us protect the forest."

"Impossible."

"Nnnoooddd?" came MK's slow voice. Soonrah rushed into the flowers as Nod sighed. He turned and went to greet MK.

"Hiii, EeeehhmmmKaaaay," Nod said as slowly as he could. They were just outside the Queen's meadow.

"Whathappened?" MK asked, trying to speed up her speech. Unfortunately, it didn't help much.

It was then that Queen Darcy came out. "Heelloo, EeehhmmmKaaay," she said slowly.

"HelloYourMajesty," MK said quickly.

"I have an idea," the Queen told Nod. She brought her fingers to her head and concentrated. She began to glow a little as her magic worked. It took a few moments for Nod to grow impatient.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Now you can talk to each other," the Queen said. "I've slowed you and me down." MK grinned, she could understand them! And she could tell they weren't talking slowly for her.

"This is great!" MK said. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"I can't hold it very long," Queen Darcy said. The two nodded and got to the point.

"There was a fairy," Nod said.

"A fairy?" MK asked. "I didn't know they existed!"

"Neither did I. But they do. Her lands have been torn apart. All her friends gone. She's says that we're next."

"But who's done all those things?"

"Mandrake."

"I thought he died?"

"Apparently not. I don't know how he survived, but he did. And now he's even stronger than before."

That was the last thing that could be said, for Queen Darcy let go of the magic, exhausted.

"That's enough magic for me today," the Queen said. She returned to her meadow to sit down.

"Where's the fairy?" MK asked.

"Laaaterrr," Nod said, and slowly waved to MK before heading back into the meadow.

MK frowned. She wanted to know more, but talking like this wouldn't work anyway. It seemed all she could do was wait for Nod to go to a camera where she could slow it down. With a wave to all the Leafmen, she turned and left.

Mandrake grinned as he looked at all the caged fairies. They couldn't touch the bars of their wooden, rotting cages, or they would begin to rot, too.

"How's it feel," he asked them all, "to be helping me destroy your home!? Your neighbor's home!?" He laughed at the idea.

"You will not succeed, Mandrake," Queen Aria said.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," Mandrake, walking up to her isolated cage. "I already succeeded in taking over your lands. And once I find your precious little bulbs, Moonhaven will be mine!"

The Queen frowned, but she didn't dare tell them why he wouldn't succeed. Didn't want to risk the fairy's safety by telling him Soonrah was unaccounted for in this prison. So she just keep quiet and allowed Mandrake to laugh to his heart's content.

"You'll see, all of you!" he bragged. "Soon, your precious little forest will be but a memory! Hahahaha!"


	3. Questions

**_AN: Thank you sooo much everyone for those lovely reviews! I feel so luved! Sorry it's taking me a while to update. My life is crazy busy! But here's chapter three! And thank you for all your ideas, I'm keeping them all in mind!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

Word began to spread of a fairy in Moonhaven as soon as Ronin was seen with Soonrah on his bird. Everyone, from mushroom, to bug, to flower gathered to catch a glimpse of this mythical creature that suddenly wasn't so mythical anymore.

But they all had to wait. For Queen Darcy, still a child, had Soonrah hostage with question after question. Ronin and Nod sat on either side of the fairy, keeping guard.

"Why is your hair like that?" she asked, gesturing to the fairy's pink hair that was cropped short in the back with two long locks and long bangs in the front.

Soonrah giggled. "Because I like it this way," she said.

"Did you know it looks just like the orange-pink of the sunrise?" Queen Darcy asked. Soonrah giggled again.

"I did."

"And your eyes look just like the sky!"

"They do."

"Is that because you're a fairy?"

"Probably."

"You mean you don't know?"

The fairy laughed. "No, I don't know everything, Your Majesty."

"Oh, right." The Queen gave a small giggle, embarassed. "Is it true that you're born of a baby's first laugh?"

"No," Soonrah said with a laugh. "That's an old legend. We're born of stardust. You know it falls during the day as well as at night. It falls on a flower or leaf of a tree, and of that comes the fairy."

"That's beautiful," the Queen said, awestruck. Soonrah just gave yet another giggle.

The fairy paused when she felt a raindrop plop down onto her head, drenching her hair. She gasped and looked up in the sky.

"Looks like it's time to get you to your temporary home," Nod said.

"I'll take her," Ronin said. "Nod, go make sure everyone gets under cover."

"Aw, you always get to do the fun stuff," Nod whined. He winked at Soonrah who grinned back at him before he left. Ronin helped Soonrah to her feet as the Queen bid them goodbye and went to her home.

"If Mandrake has all this power," Ronin asked as they walked, "what is he waiting for? Why isn't he at our front door?"

"H-he needs the bulbs," Soonrah said. "W-we have them hidden. They hold the stardust that we collect each day and night. It gives us our power."

"Can't he just use the stardust on the ground?"

"There's not enough. And he does not know how to find, much less collect, it."

"I see." They made it to a particular tree with a small hole near the bottom.

"I hear fairies prefer homes high above the ground," Ronin said. Soonrah nodded. "Sorry, but this is all we have open."

"N-no, it's fine," Soonrah said. She walked into the hole, finding a small room inside. There was a small table in the center with four chairs surrounding it and a bed in the corner. As of yet, there was no food in there. But Soonrah knew that was because it was never usually occupied.

"Well . . . uhm . . ." Ronin toyed with the idea of staying with her, makin sure she didn't do anything detremental to Moonhaven. But something inside him told him she was trustworthy. "Have a nice day," he said. As he turned to leave, it began downpouring. There was no way he was going to make it home without getting a cold the next day.

Soonrah frowned at the rain. Despite her uneasiness around the Leafman, she still cared about him like she cared about everyone she encountered. She gathered up her courage and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Y-you can't go out in that," she said softly. "You should stay."

Ronin frowned and looked back at her, then out at the rain again. She was right. He could get hurt slipping in mud or slippery leaves. He had to stay in perfect health all the time. He nodded. "Yes, you're right," he said. "I'll stay."

"Do you think she got away?"

The fairies whispered among themselves, worried about their missing Soonrah. They spoke in Starshy, the language usually used for proper occasions. But, of course, they didn't want any boggans or Mandrake himself to hear them talking about the missing fairy.

"What if she got hurt?"

"Would he kill one of us?"

"Possibly. One fairy is nothing compared to all of us."

"He's coming!"

The fairies fell silent as Mandrake made his way down into the cavern. He grinned the sources of his power. "Hello, Pretties," he greeted them happily. The sea of dimmed colors-caused by their hair, their eyes, their clothes-shivered. The fairies shrank back as far as they could without rotting as he walked by. He walked up to Queen Aria. "You hid those bulbs well, Aria," he said. "But there's only a few places left."

"You'll never find them," the Queen said. It sounded like a fact, but it was more of a prayer.

"Oh, but I will," Mandrake said with a grin. He reached in and ran a finger along her jawline. Her cage was so small, she could do nothing but stand there and let his leathery, cold finger touch her. "I just need a little help." He gripped her neck, the Queen's hands going straight to his, trying to pull it off.

Suddenly, the Queen began to grow weak. Her knees gave out and Mandrake was now holding her up by her neck. The usual glow of her skin was dimming. Her wings fell flat against her back; she had no strength to hold them up. The fairies gasped as the boggans cheered. Finally, Mandrake let go, and Queen Aria fell to her knees, gasping.

Mandrake laughed as his hand began to glow with a golden light. He had drained the Queen's power and made it his own. Just like he had with other fairies. "Trust me, my dear," he told Queen Aria. "Soon, all that precious stardust of yours will be mine."


	4. Plans

_**More wonderful reviews! Thank you all so much! I'm so glad you're all enjoying it! Please enjoy this next chapter! Things are starting to get real!**_

"I have a plan," Ronin said after the long silence that had ensued after his decision to stay. He and Soonrah were sitting at the table in the little hole.

Soonrah looked up at him curiously.

"We're assuming he hasn't found the bulbs yet. Otherwise he would already be here. Why don't we distract him? Give him something else to focus on. We can grab the bulbs and bring them here, where we'll have the advantage. We'll be able to defeat him."

"Kill him," Soonrah correctly softly.

"Yes, kill him."

Soonrah nodded. "There are three," she said. "And they're very delicate. We need gentle souls to carry them."

"Gentle souls?"

"Yes. The bulb can sense your being. It will break if a dark soul touches it."

"How can we tell who is gentle enough?"

"I can tell," Soonrah said with a nod. "I will go about your people. I will find them."

Ronin let out a sigh. "All right," he said. He didn't like the idea of letting this stranger peer into the souls of all the people in his lands, but it looked like he had no choice. Once Mandrake had those bulbs, they would be goners.

Soonrah nodded and looked away. Something about him made her shiver. But she wasn't sure if it was a shiver of fear or of something else.

The two fell into an awkward silence.

"You have one," Soonrah said softly. Ronin blinked and looked up at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You," she said. "You have have a gentle soul. You could carry a bulb."

Ronin nodded, trying not to take it as a compliment. "But I should head the distraction team. I am a good fighter and leader."

"You cannot let someone else do it in your stead?"

Ronin thought about this. "It would be best for me to," he said. "If I am not there, Mandrake will suspect a trick."

"He could be expecting one now," she said. "One of his boggans is dead."

Ronin raised his eyebrows. "You killed it?"

"Yes."

Ronin couldn't believe it. This small delicate thing not only spoke of death, but had actually handed it out. Be the victim a nasty boggan or not.

"I had to," Soonrah added, as if defending herself. "He was going to make me disappear like the others. I needed to warn you. To get help. I didn't really know what I was doing. He was on top of me, and I couldn't get him off. I found a twig and next thing I knew, it had sliced through his heart." Soonrah hid her face in shame. She would be crying had she any tears left from her conversation with the Queen. Ronin frowned and reached over, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"The first kill is hard," he said. "And it doesn't get easier. Boggans or not, death is death. Are you sure you are ready for this battle?"

After a moment, the fairy revealed her face and nodded. "I will be helping to collect the bulbs. Mandrake will not expect a fairy to be in ranks with the Leafmen. He will think me safe and sound in Moonhaven." Then she did something she would not expect herself to do. She placed her hand atop his on her shoulder. The touch sent electricity through her. She blinked and took her hand away. Ronin must have felt something, too, for he also pulled his hand away. He cleared his throat.

"It's a plan, then," he said. He looked out at the rain finally began to stop and the sun began to burst through the clouds. "Well, are you ready to discover Moonhaven?"

Soonrah grinned and nodded. Ususally, fairies didn't much like new things. New places, new people. But something about exploring the beautiful forest with Ronin brought excitement to her. She no longer feared his presence. Rather, she discovered, she quite enjoyed it.

"ARIA!" Mandrake roared. He burst into the prison, racing over to the fairy Queen as she sat weakly on the ground of her rotten cage.

Despite her lack of strength, the Queen's golden eyes remained fierce as she looked up at Mandrake. The decay-demon growled as he gripped the bars and brought his face close to them.

"You! You and your little fairy brat! You have a plan, don't you?!"

Fairies began to murmur among themselves. What was he talking about? If their Queen had a plan, they knew nothing of it.

"I'm certain," Queen Aria said as strongly as she could. "I'm certain . . . I do not know what you are talking about."

"That little brat that got away!" he growled. The fairies gasped. He knew! But the Queen remained calm, despite the panic growing inside her. Her little Soonrah!

"I do not know of any fairy that has gotten away," she said, adamant on keeping him in the dark.

"Then who killed my boggan?!" he demanded. "There was a twig through his heart. That was no accident! Your little fairy has gone to warn the Leafmen!"

The fairies gasped again. She had killed a boggan?!

"All my fairies . . . are here."

Mandrake growled again and reached into the cage, grabbing hold of the Queen's collar and pulling her close to the bars. "You will tell me your plan," he said, his voice dark. "Or one by one, you will watch your fairies die." He snapped a finger and a guard made his way to the other cage. The fairies cowered away, but there was not enough room and he grabbed hold of one of the fairies, young Zunco, and forced him to touch the bars. He screamed as his body began to rot at the contact.

Queen Aria flinched. She had to stay strong for her fairies. But she could not let them die so. "Please," she begged him softly. "One fairy has gotten away. But I know not her plan."

"Don't you?" Mandrake asked. He snapped his finger again, and the boggan pulled on Zunco harder until his body was nothing but a rotten twig. He was gone. The boggan reached for another fairy.

"Mandrake, please!" Queen Aria begged. "I swear to you, I know not her plan." Mandrake growled, but called his boggan off. "You little brats!" he roared, letting go of her. "You will all regret this! You will never live to see the light of day again!"


	5. Preparations

**_AN: I'M SOOOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG!~ My life gets pretty overwhelming sometimes . Anyway, here ya go! Enjoy!_**

"Mandrake destroyed her home?" MK asked, staring intently into the screen Nod was on.

"Yeah," Nod said. "I guess he came back to life or something." He explained the details of how Mandrake had taken over the fairy lands and made the fairies disappear.

"How did your fairy get away?"

"She went to see what was going on. She found the headquarters and heard Mandrake's plan to destroy Moonhaven. Then ran."

"So, what are you guys gonna do?"

"I don't know, yet. Ronin must be working on a plan, though."

"That I am." Ronin came up behind Nod, making the young leafman jump. "We have a plan. And I need you to help."

"But what's the plan?" MK asked. "Maybe I can help."

"No, MK, I don't want to risk hurting you again."

"But..."

Soonrah sat on a branch as far from the camera as Ronin let her. She couldn't believe they were talking to a stomper! Didn't they know stompers just ruin everything? That talking to a stomper would ruin the balance? She sighed and shook her head. She thought back to before she and Ronin got there. They had found no one else with a gentle enough soul. They had searched the entire community. They had decided that they would have to take several trips. She frowned and rested her chin in her hands, her elbows on her knees. That was when Nod looked up.

"There she is!" he said. "Soonrah, come down and meet MK!" Soonrah froze and stared at them. No way. There was absolutely no way she was going to meet a stomper. She wasn't going to be responsible for ruining the balance. "It's ok, I promise! C'mon!"

"Nod, we have to go," Ronin said.

"First let Soonrah meet MK."

Ronin let out a sigh. "Real quick," he said.

Nod grinned. "C'mon, Soonrah! MK's our friend!"

Eventually, Soonrah realized he wasn't going to stop calling her until she went over and met the stomper. Well, just saying 'hello' wouldn't destroy the balance, would it? With a sigh, her wings began to flutter and she floated down to them. When she laid eyes on the stomper, her heart stopped.

"Hello!" MK said excitedly. A real fairy! With wings and everything! "I'm MK."

"Say 'hello,' Soonrah," Nod encouraged, nudging the frozen fairy.

"Sh-she..." Soonrah stuttered. She swallowed.

"Soonrah?" Ronin asked. "What is it?"

"Th-the stomper..." the fairy said softly. "She . . . she has it. The perfect soul to carry a bulb."

"What is she talking about?" MK asked. "My soul?"

"You can carry one of the bulbs," Ronin explained. "The source of the fairies' power."

"But she's a stomper," Soonrah protested.

"We'll talk to the queen."

The three of them gathered in Queen Darcy's meadow, MK on her way over. Ronin explained the plan and Soonrah's discovery about MK's soul to the queen.

"But she's a stomper," the fairy protested again when Ronin was done. "Surely she could never..."

"I made her big again," Queen Darcy said, "I can make her small again."

"You what?" But the fairy's question was left unnoticed because of Nod's observation.

"But that only leaves two people to carry three bulbs," he said. "Since Ronin's going to lead the raid, that is."

"No, there's three," Soonrah said. "Didn't I tell you? Nod, you have a gentle enough soul, as well."

"Me?"

"Then that settles it," the queen said. "Now we just have to wait for MK."

"Yes," Ronin agreed. "What could be taking that girl so long?"

"MK, I said no!" MK's father, Bomba, shook his head.

"Dad, they need my help!" MK insisted. "They're relying on me!"

"I won't let you get into danger like that again. It's great what you did for them but they can't ask more of you. You're not a soldier. You're a girl."

"A woman," she corrected. "I'm going to college in the Fall! If I want to go, I can!"

"No, I'll stand by the door if I have to," Bomba said. "I'm not letting you go up against Mandrake again."

MK let out a groan. "What if I'm their only chance?" she asked. "By the sounds of it, I am!"

"They'll have to find another chance."

"Dad!"

"No!"

MK gave a cry of frustration. "Fine!" she said. "I'm going for a walk."

"What do you think I am? Stupid? You're not leaving this house."

She sighed. But there was nothing she could do. If her father was going to go so far as to physically bar her from the door, she simply couldn't go. She shook her head and stomped upstairs.

"We can't wait for her much longer," Ronin said. "The longer we wait, the longer Mandrake has to find the bulbs. We have to get moving."

"Just give her a couple minutes," Nod said. "Maybe she . . . I know! I'll go look for her!"

"No time," Ronin said. "Round up the leafmen, then meet Soonrah here. You'll have to make two trips."

Nod sighed but did as he was told, heading out of the meadow.

"Best of luck, Ronin. Soonrah." Queen Darcy nodded to the two of them then left them alone in the meadow.

Soonrah looked over at Ronin. He was . . . so handsome. With that square jaw and those green eyes. Even the gray hair did something for him. She bit her lip and shook her head. Now was not the time. Besides, he was a leafman. Even if he would be interested in her, it would never work. Who ever heard of a leafman and a fairy? Silly.

She felt a sudden hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be fine," Ronin said reassuringly. Soonrah looked up at him. His face showed concern and comfort. It made him even more handsome. Oh, he must have thought she was worried.

"I-I know," she said weakly. She relished his touch against her skin. His warm fingers, the rough calluses on them. His hand lingered there. Almost as if he didn't want to let go of her. But eventually, he did.

"I must go prepare the leafmen," he said.

"Y-yes. We'll see each other again soon." Why did she say that?

"Yes, we will." With a nod, Ronin left, leaving Soonrah to ponder her feelings.

**_Shameless Plug: Y'all like my fanfiction? Try my original fiction! Like my facebook page, Laitie Montai, where I'll be giving out free excerpts of my piece, In the City of Lamira, that I'm working on for Camp Nanowrimo. /endShamelessPlug_**


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